The Ivy League Disaster
by Transcending-Snow
Summary: A trip for candy makes one unexpected turn after another. Please R/R!


**(A/N: **Well I don't own Percy Jackson or anything in the world...but not for lack of trying! He just wouldn't accept my offer of $5...sigh, I guess I'll need to work on my funds... oh! Also, I'm pretty new here and this is my first uploaded story so I hope you like it! Comments are welcome!)

"Come oonnnn, Annabeth, it's going to take 30 minutes tops!"

"No! You heard Chiron, no excursions. Period. With Kronos gaining power it's only a matter of days before we face yet another attack. We can't just be M.I.A. when that happens."

Percy sighed. Trying to convince Annabeth to let loose every once in awhile could be harder than taming a manticore. Ever since the last attack on the camp every waking moment had been devoted to checking defenses, sharpening weapons, repairing armor…Percy needed a break and there was really no one he'd rather take it with than the blonde warrior before him.

"Okay, fine, you like logic, I'll use it against you. If I don't get a snickers bar from Quik Trip, I'm going to get seriously depressed. I'm not just talking moping-around-get-over-it-eventually kind of depressed. Seriously, Annabeth, there could be tears."

Annabeth tried to keep a straight face and failed. "Gah, fine, Percy, I'll go," she said grinning, "but only because I know your brain's too water-logged to hold your own in a fight right now. And if you die, that leaves Nico to decide the prophecy…and I'd rather that not happen. Grab your stuff and meet me back here in 5 minutes, we'll sneak out through the woods."

Percy whooped and ran off to his cabin, grabbing his few remaining dollars and checking to make sure Riptide was securely in his pocket. He really did want a snickers. The food here was great but there was a bit of a shortage of junk food unless you were willing to dish out the moolah to the Hermes cabin. But chocolate wasn't the only thing on his mind. Visions of Annabeth had been haunting his dreams for weeks. He needed to talk to her about the kiss at St. Helens. He felt like he would explode with every passing day it remained unresolved. "I mean, seriously, who kisses a guy and then says nothing about it?" Percy muttered as he raced back to the forest's edge. Annabeth was waiting there impatiently, tapping her foot.

"Bout time, Seaweed Brain. Let's get this over with."

The two spent the next few minutes racing through trees and avoiding campers until they were well beyond the magical protection that Camp Half-Blood afforded. With that, they began a leisurely walk to the road that would lead them to civilization.

The trip to the gas station passed uneventfully. They passed the time reminiscing about past adventures. Annabeth seemed to focus around the ones that made Percy look ridiculous so Percy was happy to return the favor, quickly bringing up the tunnel of love fiasco. While there, Annabeth broke down and let Percy buy her a Big Gulp for the trip back. Laughing, the pair left and started the trip back to camp. The first hundred yards passed in warm silence as the sun beat down and Percy thought about what he wanted to say. "Annabeth?"

"Mmhm?"

"I wanted to talk to you about…something."

Her eyebrows went up and a slight smile came to her face. "You always were good with words, Percy. Anything more specific?"

"Well I can give you a place: Mt. St. Helens."

Annabeth froze for a fraction of a second, almost unnoticeable, before continuing her usual pace but with a very un-Annabeth expression of hesitation on her face. "L-look Percy, I'm sorry if that distracted you, you were about to do something so dangerous and here I go and kiss you and well…you were probably weirded out." A small sigh let loose. "Percy, when I thought you might have died in that explosion…I hated myself for what I'd done. If I had lowered your chances of survival one bit, then it'd be all my fault. I'm so-"

"Annabeth, stop, seriously, I need to talk." She quieted down and looked at him apprehensively. Percy could only imagine what she was thinking. Was this why she had never brought up the kiss? Did she think Percy actually _resented_ her for it? How could he resent her for one of the greatest moments of his life? "Annabeth, you're a daughter of Athena so I know this will make sense to you. What I had to do in that hell-hole…Annabeth, your kiss couldn't have affected my chances of survival. It was more instinct than anything that got me out of there. If anything, your kiss gave me a reason to survive…Annabeth…it inspired me."

Her gray eyes got wide and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. Percy noticed in a dim corner of his brain that they had stopped moving through the forest. In her eyes, Percy watched a storm of emotions and thoughts flash across at lightning speed. Finally, one seemed to stick and find resolve.

"Percy, are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you saying…that you didn't mind me kissing you?"

The son of Poseidon laughed out loud. "Mind it? Annabeth, I loved the way that kiss made me feel. Annabeth…I think I love you."

The moment he said it, he wished he hadn't. "Great," Percy berated himself, "you went too far this time. I mean seriously, professing your love??? Now she's going to be the one freaked out. Great going blowing your chances with the one girl you've ever truly loved. Brilliant…"

But something strange was happening. A slow smile started to come to Annabeth's face as stormy gray eyes met brilliant green. "Percy…I think I love you too. I mean, philosopher's still debate on what love really is. There's some that say it's just physical stimuli combining to produce endorphins and urging us to fulfill the needs of continuing our species. Others say it's a mental condition brought on by enzymes connecting certain synapses in the brain. Heck, some say it's a disorder if you can bel-" Percy silenced her logic with a slow kiss, one that left her blushing. "Thanks for that, I tend to quote stats when I get nervous…"

Percy grinned, "I know. We'd better get back to camp. People might start to wonder where we are."

At that a loud snuffling and low growl interrupted their talk. In a flash, Riptide was uncapped and in Percy's hands while Annabeth reached for her dagger. Before them stood a beast so large Percy was surprised there wasn't a path of downed trees behind it. It was about the size of a hippopotamus but looked more like a bull- a very lean, muscular, I-just-might-throw-you-to-the-moon kind of bull. There were two huge, glistening tusks protruding from its mouth, both very blood-stained from use on the last unfortunate victim. But the horns were what drew Percy's attention. They looked like bone, sharpened ends and protruding from the skull as normal, but they moved like snakes. They seemed almost sentient in the way they sniffed the air and wove back and forth.

"What in Zeus…" cursed Percy. "Annabeth, this thing have a name?"

"Wow…Percy it's an Eale! These are rare; I don't think one's been seen for hundreds of years! The monsters of old really are rising…"

"A Yale? Seriously Annabeth, I don't think an Ivy-league school is quite this dangerous."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Percy, I thought when Chiron made Greek mythology classes at camp mandatory you might start to pay attention. Seriously, this was on the test last week!"

"Um, Annabeth, this might not be the best time to lecture me on study habits," Percy murmured, eyeing the Eale which had begun shredding a tree to bits with its lightning fast horns.

"Okay, okay. They're from Ethiopia. Just watch out for the horns. They're ultra sharp and will cut you in two if you get too close. Ready?"

With a feeling of resolve and familiarity, Percy promised he was and the two demigods charged the monster. Annabeth slipped on her Yankees Cap and began sneaking behind their target while Percy dug Riptide deep into the ground and threw a cloud of dirt into its eyes. With a roar, the bull-monstrosity rose upon its hind legs, horns whipping through the air like an amusement park ride from Hades. Percy attempted to dash in and stab the underbelly but the Eale was too fast for him. With almost sixth-sense accuracy, one leg kicked Percy through the air 10 feet until he landed with a thud against a solid oak.

"Sheesh, he's strong," Percy said, grasping his chest. As he struggled to his feet, he noticed something very strange happening to the monster. The long elephant tail on its hindquarters kept pulling at strange angles. Every time it did, the Eale twitched his head back towards his mysterious disturbance and in the process was stabbing himself with his own horns. Percy laughed at Annabeth's brilliance but his laughter caught in his throat as the animal became wise and, with a sudden back kick, sent her hurling through the air, the divine ball cap falling off in the process. With steady determination, the Eale advanced on her, head lowered and carving grooves in the dirt as its horns seemed to spin still faster with rage and bloodlust.

"No," Percy heard Annabeth gasp, as terror filled her eyes. She seemed paralyzed to her spot, unable to do anything but face her doom to the end. In desperation, Percy tried to think up a plan. In annoyance, he realized his snickers bar had begun to melt inside his pocket. "Wait…could it work?"

Percy yanked the chocolate bar out and removed it from its wrapper. The wind picked up and the sweet, rich aroma floated towards the Eale. With a jolt, it stopped and raised its head. For the first time, its horns ceased to move. With exaggerated slowness, its head slowly revolved towards Percy and his 75 cent treat.

As the animal broke into a run towards him, Percy threw the chocolate 10 feet deeper into the woods, diverting the monster's path. Using the chocolate as his distraction, Percy did a flip onto its back and stabbed powerfully into the base of the neck, causing the creature to dissolve into beautiful dust, all trace of the horror that once was completely erased.

With a sigh, Percy straightened up and ran back to Annabeth who had managed to come to a standing position by now. Hugging her, he whispered, "Another one bites the dust, huh?"

Groaning, she muttered, "Must you resort to clichés? Really?"

Laughing, Percy suddenly turned thoughtful. "You know, we came on this trip so I could get a snickers. I seem to find myself without one now…"

Annabeth looked confused for a second before realization set in. "Percy, no! I am not walking all the way back to Quik Trip just to get you another snickers bar!"

"Oh come on, Wise Girl. It will be fun…really! I mean what danger are we in when you think about it? The whole mythological world doesn't stand a chance against us when we're together."

Annabeth tried to keep up her defiant gaze but failed. How could she argue with words like that? "Fine…but I get to kill the next monster. I'm calling dibs right now so you'd better not get all heroic and take it down by yourself."

Smiling, Percy clasped her hand in his own and the duo-turned-couple made their way once again towards the road and whatever might await them.


End file.
